E-mail this article

Sending your article

Health officials say what killed a coyote found in Brookline last week remains a mystery after a necropsy found no traces of poison.

The coyote was found dead on Feb. 14, in the back yard of a home in the Corey Hill neighborhood, which has been a hotbed for coyote sightings in recent months to the chagrin of many residents.

A homeowner on Summit Avenue reported the dead animal, and Brookline’s Public Health Department ordered a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

Pat Maloney, Brookline’s chief environmental health inspector, said the results of the test came back this week and found no evidence that the coyote had been poisoned.

The necropsy found that the coyote died of significant internal bleeding in its rear quarters, but Maloney said there were no broken bones to suggest that the animal had been hit by a car.

A separate test also showed the coyote did not have rabies.

Maloney said the coyote was the first to be found dead in Brookline, and what caused the internal bleeding and death of the animal remains a mystery.

Residents of the Corey Hill neighborhood have been saying since last fall that they suspect coyotes are to blame for several pets that have gone missing and some parents are worried about their children playing outdoors. The neighborhood has appealed to officials for help, but the town has said there is little it can do because of a state law that prevents the use of effective traps to catch coyotes.